Manually installable coaxial cable connector

ABSTRACT

A manually installable coaxial cable connector comprises a housing sleeve, a connector body, a locking ring, and a center post which co-act to permit installation of the connector on both coaxial cable and an interface port, without the use of any installation tool. Cable outer jacket retention is ensured for a wide range of braided shield percentage cables by a plurality of serrations on fingers of the connector body. A stepped feature of an annular collar on the connector body ensures metal-to-metal contact and good retention between the connector body collar and an interface port. Installation of the connector onto a properly prepared piece of coaxial cable is achieved by simply pushing the connector onto the cable, removing a protective cap and manually sliding the housing sleeve until the locking ring locks into place. The connector is slipped onto an interface port whereupon the housing sleeve is manually pushed forward to lock the connector onto the interface port. The connector is removed from the interface port by simply pulling the housing sleeve backward and slipping the connector off of the interface port.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to connectors for coaxial cables, and moreparticularly to a connector which is manually installable on coaxialcable and on a mating connector interface port.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Coaxial connectors, such as F-type coaxial cable connectors aretypically threaded onto a complementary interface port to electricallyintegrate coaxial cables to various electronic devices such as TVs,VCRs, cable converters and various radio systems.

Prior art coaxial cable connectors present several limitations involvingthe mating and assembly of the connector with a coaxial cable, and theinterfacing of the connector with a mounting or interface port of anelectronic device. In particular, the process of integrating prior artcoaxial cable connectors with coaxial cable tends to be a tediousprocess. The installer has to ensure that the braided shield of thecoaxial cable is properly engaged with the metallic elements of theconnector body. Prior art cable connectors generally require specialcrimp tooling to secure the cable in mated combination with theconnector body. Such crimp tooling is often not adaptable for use withdifferent sizes of connector bodies. Also, the configuration of manyconnector bodies limits their use to coaxial cables having braidedshield percentages in a narrow range.

Moreover, increased utilization of home video and cable entertainmentequipment results in frequent and repetitive connect/disconnect cycles.Typical prior art connectors require cumbersome threading of the coaxialcable connector onto the interface port of electronic equipment. Such athreading operation tends to be awkward and relatively time consuming.Further, to ensure RF shielding the threaded connection needs to betightened to a minimum of two inch pounds, which is not normallyachievable without a tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a manually installable coaxial cableconnector includes a housing sleeve, a connector body, a center post,and a locking ring which co-act to permit installation of the connectoron both coaxial cable and an interface port, manually, without the useof any installation tool. Good metal-to-metal contact between thebraided shield of the coaxial cable and the connector is ensured for awide range of braided shield percentage cables by the center post beingpress fit into the connector body and sandwiched under the braid. Aplurality of serrations on fingers assures good cable to connectorretention by application of a continuous motion to the connector housingsleeve until an integral positive stop is achieved. A stepped feature ofan annular collar on the connector body ensures good metal-to-metalcontact and good retention between the connector body collar and aninterface port.

Features of the invention include installation of the connector onto aproperly prepared piece of coaxial cable by simply pushing the connectoronto the cable, removing a protective cap and manually sliding thehousing sleeve in a first direction until the locking ring locks intoplace. The connector is slipped onto an interface port whereupon thehousing sleeve is manually pushed forward in the opposite direction tolock the connector onto the interface port. No cumbersome threading isrequired. The connector is removed from the interface port by simplypulling the housing sleeve backward and slipping the connector off ofthe interface port.

Further features of the invention include a nickel/silver alloy collarto ensure long life under repeated connect/disconnect cycles andexcellent corrosion resistance in damp environments. The housing sleeveis made durable and UV resistant. RF shielding is achieved without toolsfor crimping or tightening threaded connections.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

These and other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent in light of the following detailed description ofan illustrative embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectioned view of a manually installable coaxial cableconnector according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a housing sleeve of the manually installablecoaxial cable connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connector body and collar of themanually installable coaxial cable connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view partially in section of a center post ofthe manually installable coaxial cable connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view partially in section of a locking ring ofthe manually installable coaxial cable connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A illustrates a coaxial cable prepared for integration with theconnector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a coaxial cable interface port;

FIG. 7A is a side section view of the connector of FIG. 1 havingprepared cable installed therein, prior to the locking ring beingengaged and prior to the end cap being removed;

FIG. 7B is a side section view of the connector of FIG. 1 havingprepared cable installed therein, the locking ring engaged and the endcap removed, prepared for attachment to a coaxial cable interface port;and

FIG. 8 is a sectioned view of the connector of FIG. 1 attached to aninterface port.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A manually installable coaxial cable connector 10, as illustrated inFIG. 1, comprises a center post 12 which is friction fit into aconnector body 14. The connector body 14 comprises a slotted collar end16 and a resilient fingered end 18 and having an intermediate portion 19disposed therebetween. A locking ring 20 is disposed about the connectorbody 14 intermediate portion 19 proximate to the resilient fingered end18. An assembled connector comprises the center post 12, connector body14 and locking ring 20 slip fitted into a housing sleeve 22. An end cap24 is disposed at an interface end 26 of the housing sleeve 22 to retainthe connector innards before the connector is used.

The housing sleeve 22, referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, is a moldedinsulative plastic piece, which is preferably fabricated of a durable UVresistant plastic, such as Celcon UV90 (which is a trademark of HoechstCelanese Corporation). An exterior surface of the housing sleeve 22 hasa plurality of knurled or jagged portions 28 to facilitate manualgripping of the housing sleeve 22 for actuation and installation of theconnector 10 as discussed hereinafter.

Interior surfaces of the housing sleeve 22 are contoured to co-act withvarious elements of the manually installable coaxial cable connector 10.The interior surface proximate to the interface end 26 of the housingsleeve 22 is cylindrical in a first stage 30 and tapered in a secondstage 32. Stage 32 narrows progressively away from an inclined surface36. The inclined surface 36 proximate the second stage 32 of the taperedinterior surface terminates at a housing interior shoulder 38. Theremainder of the interior of housing sleeve 22 comprises a substantiallycylindrical void 40 which is open at a cable insert end 42.

Referring now to FIG. 3, connector body 14, comprising slotted collarend 16 and fingered end 18 is dimensioned for installation in thehousing sleeve 22 by press fit engagement between the collar end 16 ofthe connector body 14 and stage 32 of the interior of housing sleeve 22.Collar end 16 has a plurality of slots 44 which permit compression ofthe collar end 16 of the connector body 14 for frictional engagement ofan outer sheath 63 of a coaxial cable interface (FIG. 6B) uponinstallation as discussed hereinafter.

The resilient fingered end 18 of the connector body 14 comprises aplurality of flared axial serrations 46 which retain the locking ring 20(see FIG. 1) and can "bite" into a wide range of braided shieldpercentages of coaxial cable. Upon installation of a prepared coaxialcable 48, (FIG. 6A) into an assembled manually installable coaxial cableconnector 10, the serrations 46 pierce the cable jacket or insulation 50and make mechanical contact with the outer jacket 50. However, theserrations 46 are fabricated of such dimension so as to preclude fullypiercing coaxial cable interior insulation 54 to avoid mechanically andelectrically contacting a center conductor 56 of the coaxial cable 48with any portion of the conductive connector body 14.

A substantially cylindrical intermediate portion 19 of the connectorbody 14 resides between the collar end 16 and the resilient fingered end18 thereof. Preferably, the entire connector body 14, including collarend 16, fingered end 18 and cylindrical intermediate portion 19, isfabricated from a conductive metal or alloy which possesses goodcorrosion resistance characteristics in damp environments and which willwithstand repeated connect/disconnect cycles. A nickel/silver alloyprovides such desirable characteristics.

The center post 12 of the manually installable coaxial cable connector10, as illustrated in FIG. 4, has a tubular portion 58 integral with awide annular portion 60, both of which have a bore 62 extendingtherethrough. The wide annular portion 60 has an outer diameterdimensioned to permit press fitting of the center post 12 within theintermediate portion 19 of the connector body 14, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 7A/B.

The tubular portion 58 of the center post 12 has a thin wall whichelectrically engages the braided shield 52 of the prepared coaxial cableand which accommodates the interior insulation 54 of the cable to alignthe center conductor 56 for insertion into a complementary conductivereceptacle 64 of the interface port (FIG. 6B). The center post 12 ispreferably fabricated from a suitable conductive material such as tinplated brass.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 5 and 7A/B, the manually installable coaxial cableconnector 10 according to the invention has a locking ring 20 disposedabout the connector body 14 proximate to the resilient fingered end 18thereof. The locking ring 20 is an annular piece which is preferablyconstructed of plastic material having heat resistance and durabilitycharacteristics similar to those of the housing sleeve 22. A materialsuch as Celcon UV90 is suitable for both the locking ring 20 and thehousing sleeve 22 discussed hereinbefore. The locking ring 20 has aninner diameter defining a void which slidably accommodates theintermediate portion 19 of the connector body 14.

The manually installable coaxial cable connector 10 is assembled byslipping the locking ring 20 over the fingered end 18 of the connectorbody 14. A 90° outward bend 43 is formed on at least two opposednon-serrated fingers on the fingered end 18 to act as a stop to limittravel of the locking ring 20. At that point, the resilient fingers areflared outwardly. The center post 12 is then press fit into theconnector body 14. The assembly comprising locking ring 20, center post12 and connector body 14 is then inserted into the housing sleeve 22through the cable insert end 42 and pressed through the tapered interiorof the housing sleeve until the collar end 16 of the connector bodyengages a shoulder 31 of the installed end cap 24.

For proper use of the manually installable coaxial cable connector, theprepared coaxial cable 48 (see FIG. 6A) has the outer jacket 50 removedand the braided shield 52 drawn back to expose the interior insulation54. The interior insulation 54 is stripped to expose a portion of thecenter conductor 56 sufficient to make adequate electrical contact withthe complementary conductive receptacle 64 of the coaxial cableinterface port (FIG. 6B).

The prepared coaxial cable 48 is inserted into the cable insert end 42of the manually installable coaxial cable connector 10, as illustratedin FIG. 7A, with a continuous motion until the thin walled tubularportion 58 of the center post 12 mechanically and electrically engagesthe braided shield 52 of the cable. Preferably the coaxial cable isprepared and engaged on the center post 12 so that the folded backbraided shield abuts the wide annular portion 60 and the exposedinterior insulation 54 is fully engaged within the part of the bore 62having the wide annular portion 60 disposed thereabout.

When the cable is inserted in the assembled manually installable coaxialcable connector according to the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 7A,the locking ring 20 disposed about the intermediate portion 19 of theconnector body 14 may abut the shoulder 38 of the housing sleeve 22. Theserrations 46 are flared and may rest against the cable jacket 50. Themanually installable coaxial cable connector 10 is secured or lockedonto the inserted coaxial cable by removing the end cap 24 and manuallyactuating the housing sleeve 22 in a first direction 66 toward the cableinsert end 42. In doing so, the housing sleeve 22 shoulder 38 drives thelocking ring in the first direction 66 so that the locking ring 22compresses the flared fingered end 18 of the connector body 14.Compression of the flared fingered end 18 causes the axial serrations 46to penetrate the outer jacket 50 of the coaxial cable 48 to makemechanical contact with the outer jacket 50. Actuation of the lockingring 20 in the first direction 66 will be limited by the stop formed bybends 43 integral with the connector body 14.

With the coaxial cable locked in place, referring now to FIG. 7B, theslotted collar end 16 of the connector body 14 may protrude from theinterface end 26 of the housing sleeve 22. The slotted collar end issuited for slipping onto the outer sheath 63 of the coaxial cableinterface port illustrated in FIG. 6B. The slotted collar end 16 isslipped onto the interface port such that the exposed center conductor56 of the installed coaxial cable is mechanically and electricallyengaged by the complementary conductive receptacle 64 of the interface.With adequate electrical engagement between the outer sheath 63 of theinterface port and the collar end of the connector, the housing sleeve22 may be manually actuated in a second direction 68, to cause theinterior of the housing sleeve to co-act with stepped portion 45 of theslotted collar end 16 of the connector body 14. The slots 44 in thecollar end permit the collar end 16 to compress and frictionally engagethe outer sheath 63 so that the connector is locked onto the interfaceport as illustrated in FIG. 8. To remove the manually installablecoaxial cable connector from the interface, the housing sleeve 22 ismerely manually reactuated in the first direction 66 to decrease thefrictional engagement so that the connector can be slipped off of theinterface.

While the illustrative example of a manually installable coaxial cableconnector is described hereinbefore as having a plastic housing andlocking ring fabricated from Celcon UV90, a center post fabricated fromtin plated brass and a connector body made of nickel/silver alloy, othermaterials can be employed in the fabrication of a coaxial cableconnector according to the invention.

Although the connector as described hereinbefore has a stepped collarco-acting with the interior of the housing sleeve, it can be appreciatedthat one or the other surface could co-act with a gradually inclined orsmooth surface and still affect frictional engagement of the connectorcollar on an interface port.

While the connector as described may have the locking ring actuationlimited by an integral stop, other stop means can be incorporated.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to anillustrative embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that various changes, omissions and additions in theform and detail thereof may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as delineated in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coaxial cable connector for mating a coaxialcable to an interface port, wherein said coaxial cable includes a centerconductor, an interior insulation, a braided shield and an insulatingjacket and said interface port includes a conductive receptacle and anouter sheath, said coaxial cable connector comprising:a housing having acable insert end and an interface end; a connector body dimensioned tofit substantially within said housing, said connector body comprising aslotted collar end, a resilient fingered end and an intermediate portiontherebetween, said resilient fingered end having a plurality of axialserrations disposed thereon; a center post having an annular portionwith an outer dimension sized for engagement with said intermediateportion of said connector and a tubular portion dimensioned to receivesaid interior insulation and to electrically engage said braided shieldof said coaxial cable; and a locking ring having an inner dimension tosnugly, slidable engage said resilient fingered end of said connectorbody and an outer dimension slidably engagable with a portion of saidhousing,wherein said coaxial cable is manually installable within saidcoaxial cable connector by actuating said housing in a first directionsuch that said axial serrations of said connector body pierce saidinsulating jacket and said coaxial cable connector is manuallyinstallable on said interface port by actuating said housing in a seconddirection to facilitate frictional engagement of said slotted collar endof said connector body and said outer sheath of said interface port. 2.The coaxial cable connector of claim 1 wherein said housing has aninterior surface proximate to said interface end and engagable with saidslotted collar end of said connector body to facilitate frictionalengagement between said slotted collar end and said outer sheath of saidinterface port.
 3. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1 wherein saidslotted collar end of said connector body includes a stepped exteriorsurface engagable with an interior surface of said housing to facilitatefrictional engagement between said slotted collar end and said outersheath of said interface port.
 4. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1wherein said portion of said housing engagable with said outer dimensionof said locking ring comprises an interior surface having a shouldertherein.
 5. The coaxial cable connector of claim 1 further comprising anend cap engagable with said interface end of said housing.
 6. Thecoaxial cable connector of claim 1 further comprising a stop forlimiting actuation of said locking ring upon said housing being actuatedin said first direction.
 7. The coaxial cable connector of claim 6wherein said stop is integral with said connector body.
 8. The coaxialcable connector of claim 1 wherein said housing further includes anexterior surface having means for facilitating manual gripping of saidhousing.
 9. The coaxial cable connector of claim 8 wherein said meansfor facilitating manual gripping comprises knurling on said exteriorsurface.
 10. The coaxial cable connector of claim 8 wherein said meansfor facilitating manual gripping comprises at least one depressionhaving a jagged surface.